THE HEALTH HUB --- WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT VITILIGO!

What you never knew about VITILIGO!

Lets talk about Vitiligo.

Vitiligo, pronounced (vit-ih-LIE-go) is a
disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of
color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part
of the body. It may also affect hair and the inside of the mouth.

Normally, the color of hair and skin is determined by melanin. Vitiligo occurs
when the cells that produce melanin (Called Melanocytes) are destructed or stop
functioning. It is the melanin which gives skin its color and protects it from
the sun's UV rays, making people with vitiligo very sensitive to light.
Vitiligo affects people of all skin types, but it is more noticeable in people
with darker skin. The condition is NOT
life-threatening or contagious. Vitiligo can start at any age, but often appears
before age 20.

SOMEONE SUFFERING FROM VTILIGOimage credit: www.google.com

The main sign of vitiligo is a gradual patchy
loss of skin color. Usually, the discoloration first shows on sun-exposed
areas, such as the hands, feet, arms, face and lips. Could be followed by
premature whitening of the hair on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard, and
also loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of your mouth and nose
known as mucous membranes.

As aforementioned, Vitiligo occurs when the
melanocytes die or stop producing melanin. The exact reason why the cells fail
or die is not very well known, but it may be related to a disorder in which
your immune system attacks and destroys the melanocytes in the skin, could be
hereditary, or could be triggered by sunburn, stress or exposure to industrial
chemicals.

Many treatments are available to help restore
skin or even out skin tone, but the results vary from person to person and are
unpredictable. The Treatments in question may restore the affected skin, or
lessen the damaging effects of direct sunlight exposure, but do not prevent the
loss of skin color. No drug can stop the
process of vitiligo — the loss of pigment cells (melanocytes). But some
drugs, used alone or with light therapy, can help restore some skin tone.

Creams that control inflammation such as
corticosteroids may be used. Applying a corticosteroid cream to affected skin
may help return color, particularly if you start using it early in the disease.

Medications that affect the immune system.
Ointments containing Tacrolimus which
is a calcineurin inhibitor may be effective for people with small areas of
depigmentation, especially on the face and neck. However, there is a possible
link between the use of these drugs and
lymphoma and skin cancer.

Limited studies show that the herb Ginkgo biloba may return skin color in
people with vitiligo. Other small studies show that alpha-lipoic acid, folic
acid, vitamin C and vitamin B-12 plus phototherapy may restore skin color for
some people.

Light therapy, and skin grafting may also be
employed.

However, as has already been mentioned, these
interventions are to manage the condition, but no drug can completely stop the
process.

The main problem facing vitiligo sufferers is
the STIGMA that they are subjected
to, sometimes even to the extent of denying them seats on public transport,
denial of job opportunities, refusing to sell to them, refusing to talk to,
touch or associate with them for fear of being "infected" etc. It is
very appalling, and must stop.

The disease IS NOT contagious, and CANNOT
spread from one person to another. Let us take note and refrain from the
stigmatization.

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